Best Punching Bag for Kickboxing

Interested to know what the best punching bag for kickboxing is?

This post will provide you with a helpful guide on the best punching bags for kickboxing that are available out there so you can make an informed decision about which bag to purchase and use for your kickboxing workouts.

There are several factors to consider in searching for the best punching bag for kickboxing – all of which are discussed in more detail in this post and are summarized below as:

• Cost
• Hanging or free standing
• Training kickboxing techniques

#1 Recommended Bag for Kickboxing

In my opinion the 6 foot Thai bag also called the Banana bag would be the best option to use for training kickboxing.

The 6 foot thai bag is one of the few punching bags out there that will allow you to practice low kicks in your workouts.

A suspended or ‘hanging’ bag as pictured above would also be the best option in my opinion due to the stability of the bag, movement around the bag as well as making use of the swinging momentum of the bag to simulate movement of an opponent.

But for many people who are just starting out kickboxing or who just want to workout and get in shape through kickboxing workouts solo at home, the 6 foot bag may not be a suitable option.

Whether it be cost or inability to hang a bag suspended from the ceiling, the Thai bag may not be suitable for everyone and we will look at different scenarios and suggest the best options for different situations.

Let’s first look at cost as a factor in choosing the best punching for kickboxing.

Cost of Punching Bags

Depending on the type of bag you are looking at, hanging or free standing, filled or unfilled, there will be a varying range of costs.

Unfilled, traditional hanging bags are cheaper

Generally speaking the cheapest option is to buy an unfilled, traditional punching bag and fill it yourself with old clothes, rags and other suitable material.

Just be prepared with a lot of old clothes, rags, rubber pieces and other material to fill it up. Aim for around 100 pounds of weight for your bag.

If you are looking at the 6 foot bag then you will need even more material to fill it with compared to a traditional 4 foot bag present in most boxing gyms today.

Free standing bags are much more costly

A free standing bag will cost around $200 for a quality punching bag. A traditional hanging bag can be less than half the cost of a free standing bag.

Cheapest option – make your own bag

Of course an even cheaper option would be to make your own punching bag and this is totally possible and will provide you with an excellent tool for your kickboxing workouts.

You can make your own bag from old potato or rice sacks and will it up with sand or other material. You could hang this bag from a tree outside in your garden for a great cheap alternative.

A common ‘home-made’ option found in many gyms is the tire bag which you can also make yourself with some old tires.

Free Standing VS Hanging Bags

For some people a hanging bag is just not an option.

This maybe due to the property they are renting not allowing suspension from ceilings or not having a suitable beam or strong enough ceiling to hang the bag from.

Also hanging a bag with the normal mounts requires some tools, drilling and screws which also may not appeal to many people.

Therefore the more expensive free standing bag may be a better option if you can afford one.

The Cylindrical Free Standing Punching Bag or the BOB are Best for Kickboxing

There are three types of free standing bag.

But I would recommend either the typical larger cylindrical punching bag or the BOB (Body Opponent Bag) for kickboxing.

The third type of free standing punching bag – the reflex bag is mainly for boxing and focuses on hands – so many kickboxing techniques will not be able to be trained with a reflex bag.

You Can Even Make Your Own Free Standing Bag

If you are unable to hand a traditional punching bag but cannot afford a more expensive free standing bag then making your own free standing bag is another suitable option for many people.

Check out this post from Ryan Gregory (backinthegi.com)

In the post linked above you will get instructions on how to make your own free standing heavy bag for around $50.

It will take some time and a bit of research, shopping and know-how.

But at $50 this is really a great option for people on a budget.

Training Kickboxing Techniques Effectively

As stated earlier my number one recommendation would be to use a 6 foot Thai bag for your kickboxing workouts.

Training Low Kicks

The main reason being this is one of the few punching bags that will allow you to train low kicks and include them in your punching bag training.

Low kicks are an important part of kickboxing and if you do not have a pad holder or partner then a 6 foot punching bag is your best option for training low kicks.

Low Kicks on a Free Standing Bag

Most free stnading bags do not have sufficient padding and striking surface at the bottom (near the base) to be able to train low kicks effectively.

This is another reason why the traditional ‘hanging’ 6 foot bag is my favorite option as the best punching bag for kickboxing.

There is one option for a very versatile free standing bag that allows for low kicks which is the Versys Series

However this punching bag can move around quite a bit and require adjustment mid-training.

But this is also another option to consider.

So What is the Best Punching Bag for Kickboxing?

Depending on the three factors discussed aove of: i) cost ii) hanging or free stnading bag and iii) ability to train full range of kickboxing techniques – the best bag may be different for each person.

Depending on your budget, location and training goals, there are several options which have been discussed above to give you helpful insight to make an informed decision on which punching bag to use.

If you are training mostly at a local gym then you will probably have a wide range of bags to choose from.

But training at home – my top recommendation would be the 6 foot ‘hanging’ Thai bag or banana bag.